Relief valve



Aug. 29, 1950 R. sTEvr-:NsoN 2,520,893

RELIEF VALVE l Filed March 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR RNEYS Aug. 29, 195o v R. STEVENSON RELIEF VALVE 2 sheets4sheet 2 Filed March 16, 1944 5 y ff 5;

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v ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 29, 1950 NITE-D S PATENT v`()`I "FIZCE.

2,520Q93 'RELIEF VLVE 'flto'liertfStevenson,l Barrington, bvRAI.,-fatssgrmri-itio fMerit-Engneering; Inc*af'corporationoRhode -Island In 5the use of 'cltall "relif `va1`l`lo`s "fW1il'e 'the main operating Valve isfsuhj'eoted to'the pressure in'the malin HOW-"line altlis t9ples`sule'is' utilied at "the van@ 'seat "for 'ripening "the *valve While la spflngfls used*fonclosng'tleliie a-'cieit'afin chttering may "occurwhich is highly undesirable. Further f" itfisffound 'Very difllcult'i'n -high pressure systemsto-iprovide a vvalve'Wl'lich will be'aoeute over a`rwide'rang'e for opening and closing.

'O'n'efof tile-"objects of'this invention 4'isto hrm vide a construction of r`relief valiewhich will be highlysensitive over a'Wide-'range'and within ltol'- elances desired by the-airplane industry.

'Another object of "thisinvehtion is "toy 'provide 'a v'a-lve 'which may vbe 1set to open ait' 'any selected pressure 'Within a wide range o f-`p're s"s u'res 'sotha't duplicat`e "valv'es`may be used in-ircraft 'Where several different pressures are'requiredand vwhich u 'p to thejpresent time 'have required'valves of different 'construction vso' that one oould not-be substituted for another.

Anotheiv object of this invention is to provide am.A assem'h-m which 'may vbe soldst'rip'ped and without "a casing ,'toube placed in any 'housingor 1 opening Yin :a'block 'Where it may' be desiredtolb'e utilized. j f

Another object 'of this invention is to provide valve which will be compact in construction and thus; 'one occupyinga minimum 'amount of Aspande and 'requiring aminimum weight of x"natte'riel.

Another objectv of 'the invention is 'to provide relief' valve' which will. not chatter in use'.

Another object of the invention is to provide 'a r'li'e valve utilizing fluid pressure to open the' same and in which the construction is "suchthalt actuating pressure Vfor opening thevlalve 'will be quickly and constantly relieved when it is desired to close the main valve, eliminating 'a cause of muttering. 1

Another object of this invention is to 'control thel mintvalve at a point ielnovd.fl"oin the lofcfation of. flow ofthe fluid past the Valve when the same 'is open, thus stabilizing' the action of 'thfe main valve by' making' its control' 'independent of the flow or the fnuc'iV which it controls while utilizing the pressure of thisv fluid for accomplishing the result'.

Another object of the invention'is te utilize the pressure 'of' the' fluid in the main line for ztctu't'-4 acontrol Valve for LAthe `nuttin lel'ie which 'control v tli'fe vvvis subjected n'unlnstrictedly to the ssurf of the l'mein flow conduit which ilj/ isfto control whereby "theiull 'pressure 'this conduit will 'kie @pitite-g, upon the eont'fol veine ttt "all times attiA Wr; utfenytirle a'g.

With these and. other 'objects in View, tlie 'invention consists or certain ilove-1 I`festem-52s @fionstruction` a's'will'bielorefully described 'and payrticularl'y liioifted out in 'the 4appended claims. the f etccoliberi-ifing drawings:-

1. is a, sectional. View of l'the lialfle'il its l housing;

Fig. 3 is a,- sectiona-l View illustrating the unit:

essemIf-ystrippedY from. Aits causing, and 'adapted to`=be placed into-any-housing or opening for the control of -liuld through a matin flow line with which the ybore of thev housing or receiving casing may connect.

-Figxl is a sectional viewer the casin'e'ror re= ceiving the unit of' Fig. 3;'

Figs. 5, '6, fr, 9v fare sectional views and Fig. 8- am elevation 'of 'detail 'of the operati-rig port-s;

proceeding With. this invention ^I` control vau opening to an xneusttort trom the main flowy liie by einem val-te so: cor'istructeti that it is sutiee'ted to jgfery littlel 'pressureof 'the inem une wif-en -ndnnally fifi closed p'ositien. I, also, lpr'ovide an auxiliary controlvalve lilair be set 'to 'ouen at 'a predetermined 'pressure 'eind 'ly su jectd to the piesh line at all tir'nes. When control'vzltfe 'obens the ijre'ssure in the mein 'the v'al'v'e to open th'em'aln Cieli/ea Thus, Tooth 'alv'esre acted onA 163? the l'l'ie'in 1jrassur in the 'mainour line'. the uiilifary or control Valve closes the` pressure "the ciiainl'r is 'relieved immedia'telv to 'pei-init clsih-'g of the inain valve' when the conditions are suchthait it l'should be closed This yerr"ao'"geihent nttkes 'for ley positive ojo- Anette? dbjettf titisfiiitentinfisto'protrae A complete assembly of operating parts as* shown in Fig. 3 is placed into the bore I3 for the control of uid from the conduit II to the exhaust I2 under certain predetermined conditions. This assembly consists of an outer sleevev I5 flanged at its inner end to engage shoulder I 4 and is packed as at I6 to providea tightseal I y connection with the casing at this lower end.

At its upper end it is conveniently formed with Shoulder 24 4provides at its edge a seat for the main valve. Shoulder 25 provides one wall of the pressure chamber to be later described. A plurality of conduits 25 are located at a point above the valve seat or shoulder 24 to provide communication from the bore 2| to the bore i3 and thence along the sleeve I5 as at 25 tothe exhaust port I2 (seeFig-l). A control of the fiow from the conduit i! through these ports 26, 25 tothe exhaust port i2 is the purpose of the mechanism.

The main valve 2l (Fig. 5) has its outer surface engaging the bore 22. `The enlarged portion of' this valve 28 has a loose vsliding fit with a portion v'of the bore 23. ,guide the movement of the valve 2T in its -reciprocatin-g action. vThe lower end 29 of this valve is provided with a surface to seal with the seat provided by shoulder 24 when pressed into engagement therewith, while the vinterior diameter 3i? of this valve is such 4that but very little surface is exposed to the high pressure iluid in the conduit i as it extends inwardy butt a very small amount beyond the bore 2I. A spring 3i presses on the shoulder 32 of the enlarged portion 28 of the valve so as to force the-valve onto its seat. This spring 3i engages a suitable abutment at its other end. When the valve is on its seat the lower surface 32 of the enlargement 28 is spaced from the shoulder 25 so as to provide a pressure chamber 35 between the surface 32 and the shoulder-25 annularly about the valve.

`Inwardly of the valve 2'! a guide 35 -is-providedwhich is formed of several sections 36, 31, and 38 (Figs. 9,V 6, 7) for assembly purposes but which ineiect act as a single piece andprovide a rigid fixture with the casing. The upper member 35i is tted Within the member I'I and Yis located in position by a collar 39 interposed between the member I'I and the flange 38. Section 36 of the guide 35 is shrunk into member 31 and the flanges 3'1" and 38' are held in engagement by the spring 3| the flange 37' forming an abutment for the upper end thereof. The guide 36.

isprovided with recesses 4U for the reception of Thus these two surfacesV the doughnut packings 4I to provide a tight seal with the valve 2l. The upper end of this section 35 provides a valve seat designated 42, with which a control or auxiliary valve engages. Conduit 44 through the enlarged portion of the valve 21 and conduit 45 through the guide communicate with the pressure chamber 33 and with the bore 45 of thisguide. The main valve 2'! is slidably located between this sleeve I5 and the guide 35, and some leakage along both sliding surfaces is provided for fluid from the pressure chamber 33 to the chamber for spring 3i and from there through port 48 to the exhaust I2.

A control valve 50 (Fig. 8) has a shank 5I to slidably engagethe inner bore 41 of the section 31 while it has'a head 5I with a tapered end providing an inclined surface 54 for engagement with the valveseat 42. The bore 4'5 communicates directly with the main flow conduit I I and thus this valve is subjected to the flow of iiuid tofthis -valve and unrestricted pressureof this iiuid. Aspring 55 through cap 55 presses onthel upper end of the valve 55 and the amount of pressure may be adjusted by means of member 5l:` which may be axially movedto compress or re-, lease pressure on the spring, such for linstanceY asxby means of threads 58 between it and the guide 33. Recessed angular surfaces 55 areillustrated for this purpose. A check nut 60 willf bind'the adjustment in position.V Y The pressure. of this spring 55 may be'varied to-adjust the limit` of 'the pressure `in the main flow conduit I I. I

Whenit is desired tomaintain a certain prede-f termined pressure in the main flow .passageway II, say for instanceA G pounds, then :thead justment of the spring 55 will be such that the valve 563 will move upwardly and compressthis-A spring 55 when pressure-in excess of l1G00 pounds, occurs in the-conduit II.- The valve 55 opens at..

' will move the valve 553 toits seatat-fiZ whereupon the iiuid in chamber 33 will escape'along the' slid-,f ing surfaces 22,52 and 53 betweenthe valve'Zl and its guiding surfaces with members -i 5 and 35.v so that what pressure there was in thischamber`Av 33 is relieved tothe exhaust port and the pres-.

sure drops sufciently constantly so ,that the' spring 3| willmove the main valveto closed position with a direct and positive action and vwithout any rebound or cushioning which might tend` to permit this valve to reopen or chatter. v f: The leakages which occur between the main' valve along the surface 22 and along the surfaces 52 and 53 and'along the surface 5I of thevalve 55 are relatively small but sufficient to drop the presf, sure in the chamber 33 when-the valve `r5S closes. The leakage through 22 is direct to the exhausty port while the leakages at 52 and are trans-., ferred to the exhaust port through the ,opening 48 and any leakage along the surface 5i may be'A transferred to the spring chamber and exhaust. port through the opening SI. The auxiliary or control valve has no packing.' thus reducing friction .resisting its -action and making it very sensitiveso that high pressures.

may be accurately controlled even with the use of small reduced surfaces. I'n the case of the main valve, although it is packed as at 4| pressures which are utilized in operating it are relatively large and the tolerances relatively greater.

It will be appreciated that the force exerted by the spring 3| on the main valve will alwaysbesuch that it will close against any pressure which may be exerted on this narrow edge near its seat. This pressure will also be less than the pressure at which the auxiliary valve is set to open. Thus it will be appreciated that the range of operation of the valve is great, being governed only by these values plus friction of the parts which will be taken into consideration.

I claim:

1. In a relief valve for a iluid system, a housing having a main flow passageway, an exhaust outlet, and a main conduit connecting the two, a sleeve extending into said conduit sealed from said main flow passageway, said sleeve having an opening connecting said passageway with said conduit and a valve seat surrounding said opening, a tubular main reciprocating valve slidably mounted in said sleeve cooperating with said seat and having an enlarged radially outwardly extending portion, a pressure chamber surrounding said Valve, one wall of which is a surface of said outwardly extending portion, a tubular guide within said valve providing a conduit from said passageway to said pressure chamber, an abutment to engage the end of the guide which is remote from the main valve, a spring urging said guide toward said abutment and the main Valve in the opposite direction toward its seat, said tubular guide providing a valve seat between the pressure chamber and said passageway, an auxiliary valve spring urged into engagement with said Valve seat in said tubular guide, said auxiliary valve being exposed to the pressure present in said passageway whereby to be moved from its seat upon a predetermined pressure being present therein and permit the uid under such pressure to enter said pressure chamber and actuate the main valve, and means for venting said pressure chamber to the exhaust outlet.

2. In a relief valve for a iluid system, a housing having a main ow passageway, an exhaust outlet and a main conduit connecting the two, a sleeve extending into said conduit in spaced relation with the walls thereof and sealed from said main ow passageway, said sleeve having an opening connecting said passageway with said conduit and a valve seat surrounding said opening, a tubular main reciprocating valve slidably mounted 1n said sleeve cooperating with said seat and having an enlarged radially outwardly extending portion, a pressure chamber surrounding said valve, one wall of which is a surface of said outwardly extending portion, a tubular guide within said valve providing a conduit from said passageway to said pressure chamber, an abutment to engage the end of the guide which is remote from the main valve, a spring urging said guide toward said abutment and the main valve in the opposite direction toward its seat, said tubular guide providing a valve 'seat between the pressure chamber and said passageway, an auxiliary valve spring urged into engagement with said valve seat in said tubular guide, said auxiliary valve being exposed to the pressure present in said passageway whereby to be moved from its seat upon a predetermined pressure being present therein and permit the fluid lunder such pressure to enter said pressure chamber and actuate the main valve, there being a leakage between the walls of said pressure chamber and said sleeve for venting said pressure chamber to said outlet.

ROBERT STEVENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 382,643 Fox May 8, 1888 538,703 Schreidt May 7, 1895 591,013 Schreidt Oct. 5, 1897 715,707 Tippet Dec. 9, 1902 1,229,726 Ebeling June 12, 1917 2,305,519 Dunmire Dec. 15, 1942 2,333,522 Clifton Nov. 2, 1943 2,372,631 Stevenson Mar. 27, 1945 2,388,406 Haberland Nov. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,730 Great Britain Nov. 17, 1880 9,722 Great Britain Apr. 26, 1902 

